Big 12 rankings: OSU still on top

1. Oklahoma State (3-0, next game Saturday @ West Virginia) – Cowboys should be familiar to the road after playing five of their last six on the road. But it won’t make Saturday’s trip into Morgantown any easier, especially against a wounded WVU team needing some good fortune.

2. Oklahoma (3-0, next game Saturday @ Notre Dame) – The Fighting Irish have bewitched the Sooners since Bud Wilkinson was roaming the sideline, winning seven straight games in the series since 1956. The Sooners are a surprise favorite and their success will depend on Blake Bell keeping away from turnovers.

3. Baylor (3-0, next game Oct. 5 vs. West Virginia) – A week off is coming after the Bears again whipsawed another opponent with a devastating victory over Louisiana-Monroe. Through three games, the Bears are averaging 30.3 points per game in the first quarter — more than 57 FBS teams are averaging in a game.

4. Texas Tech (4-0, next game Oct. 5 @ Kansas) – Kliff Kingsbury doesn’t have much to complain about considering his team’s fast start with two freshman quarterbacks. But don’t be surprised if Michael Brewer is back in consideration for playing time and maybe even a start after the bye week considering the inconsistent offense.

5. TCU (1-2, next game Saturday vs. SMU) — After a bye week where he thought his players “were feeling sorry for themselves,” Gary Patterson is ready to get back to competition. Offensive coordinator Jarrett Anderson will be back calling plays from the press box, but look for the Horned Frogs to continue to lean on a ground-based attack relying on three strong rushing threats.

6. Texas (2-2, next game Oct. 3 @ Iowa State) – The Longhorns’ victory over Kansas State wasn’t pretty, but it was a start. They will have a week to bask in the glory before another challenge awaits in Iowa State in a game where the defense will be challenged to build on Saturday’s victory without Jordan Hicks and Steve Edmond (for a half).

7. Kansas State (2-2, next game Oct. 5 @ Oklahoma State) -The Wildcats played into Texas’ hands Saturday night, falling behind early to keep their running game under wraps. But it still doesn’t explain why Bill Snyder didn’t use Daniel Sams more from the beginning of the game. Considering UT’s inability to combat the zone-read play, it appeared to be a no-brainer to challenge them running the ball.

8. West Virginia (2-2, next game Saturday vs. Oklahoma State) – Most telling stat from the carnage at M&T Bank Stadium was that the Mountaineers had as many turnovers — six — as first downs. No wonder Dana Holgorsen was ripping his team for its “inept” performance and his own coaching.

9. Kansas (2-1, next game Oct. 5 vs. Texas Tech) – Charlie Weis’ team ended a 22-game losing streak against FBS foes Saturday with a victory over Louisiana Tech. After a bye week, the Jayhawks will attempt to snap a 21-game losing streak in Big 12 games. They’ve got a chance to make it interesting because of dramatic improvement in special teams and because their receivers aren’t dropping passes for a change.

10. Iowa State (1-2, next game Thursday @ Tulsa) – Nothing seems ordinary for the Cyclones, who will play on the next two Thursday nights against Tulsa and Texas. Paul Rhoads just is excited about the national attention. The Tulsa game will be the rubber game of a three-game matchup over the last 12 months that includes last season’s Liberty Bowl loss to the Golden Hurricane.